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As open enrollment for health insurance exchanges nears, employees will have many questions, opening opportunities for brokers to step in with expertise and guidance, experts say. A Lake Research and Enroll America survey found that 78% of uninsured people do not understand subsidy and coverage options under the Affordable Care Act, and they will rely on public and industry education to figure out where they fit in. In addition, confusion is widespread among small business owners, observers say.

Some large employers subject to the Affordable Care Act's mandate to offer health insurance have begun requiring employees to enroll in the company-sponsored health plan and deducting cost-sharing premiums from their paychecks. The practice is legal as long as the plan complies with ACA standards, experts say. However, the practice might be both counterproductive and unnecessary, they say.

Some 327,000 Washington state residents gained health insurance during the Affordable Care Act's open enrollment period, and the state exchange worked comparatively well, but barriers to full implementation of the law remain in Washington and across the nation, experts say. The payment system in Washington is producing some errors, some community health clinics say they are having trouble serving an influx of new Medicaid beneficiaries and questions remain about how to finance the state exchange after federal funding ceases.

Scammers are taking advantage of the opening of Affordable Care Act health insurance exchanges to target uninsured individuals and small-business owners. Fraudulent websites, threatening e-mails, deceptive phone calls and door-to-door inquiries are among the tactics being used. Persistent confusion about the ACA is contributing to the problem, experts say.

As open enrollment for health insurance exchanges nears, employees will have many questions, opening opportunities for brokers to step in with expertise and guidance, experts say. A Lake Research and Enroll America survey found that 78% of uninsured people do not understand subsidy and coverage options under the Affordable Care Act, and they will rely on public and industry education to figure out where they fit in. In addition, confusion is widespread among small-business owners, observers say.